Match Day 2 - Let Us Root, Root, Root for the Reds - TFC @ NYCFC Sun March 13 5 pm

[jloome]

NYC won 4–3, but I agree with the three points being on the table for us. Do you one better: I'm feeling a 3–1 scoreline for the good guys, at the whistle.




This always feels forced, unless in a tribute thread/banner or coming from a colour-commentator.
Still, admire your passion!




My thoughts, exactly, with Chapman and Delgado coming on for the two, respectively (unless the latter starts in place of Lovitz).




This is incredible, really.

TFC should appeal him being able to play. There's video of him slapping another player in the box, and that is enough for a fine, but not a suspension? A fine for a yellow card offence? A yellow card offence in thebox that is missed by three officials?

More MLS/PRO hijinks.

[Cashcleaner]

NYC won 4–3, but I agree with the three points being on the table for us. Do you one better: I'm feeling a 3–1 scoreline for the good guys, at the whistle.

Bah! Slip of the typing finger on my part. And you could totally be right about the result. Oso, Bradley, even Endoh could be a threat to NYCFC's back line unless they really recover themselves from last weekend.

[Defoe]

So if Altidore is healthy...

Giovinco-------Altidore----------Endoh

Osorio---------Bradley---------Johnson

Morrow---Moor---Perquis---Beitashour

-----------------Irwin--------------------

That's a strong lineup.

1 player really makes a HUGE difference. Can't believe some people are okay with Lovitz starting in Altidore's absence.

[molenshtain]

1 player really makes a HUGE difference. Can't believe some people are okay with Lovitz starting in Altidore's absence.

well it can't make that big of a difference, seeing as we pulled it off against the reigning shield winners.

[notthesun]

Well then... Lovitz ruled out after suffering concussion-like symptoms in training: http://www.torontosun.com/2016/03/11...of-nycfc-clash

My guess is Vanney wants to keep the same midfield three, I doubt we see Osorio move up. I would guess it's either Delgado or Babouli that starts at LW now. Delgado probably has the edge but it depends on whether Vanney thinks he can play as well on the left as he can on the right.

[Hugh Jazz]

Delgado should be fine, inverted wingers should be preferred on a pitch like Yankee Stadium.

[noimpactinmtl]

Delgado should be fine, inverted wingers should be preferred on a pitch like Yankee Stadium.

Isn't Babouli an inside winger as well? Or is he left footed?

[portu]

Isn't Babouli an inside winger as well? Or is he left footed?

Babouli is right footed

[noimpactinmtl]

Delgado should be fine, inverted wingers should be preferred on a pitch like Yankee Stadium.

Babouli is right footed

Gotcha, so the difference between Marky and Babouli comes down to pace then.

[notthesun]

Delgado is more defensively responsible and effective, and also more experienced at this level. If Vanney wants just as much defensive effort for this game I suspect he starts Delgado (both he and Endoh will put in a real shift defensively). With the smaller pitch and less space, and that Delgado isn't as good on the left, maybe Babouli does get the start though.

[portu]

Delgado is more defensively responsible and effective, and also more experienced at this level. If Vanney wants just as much defensive effort for this game I suspect he starts Delgado (both he and Endoh will put in a real shift defensively). With the smaller pitch and less space, and that Delgado isn't as good on the left, maybe Babouli does get the start though.

Or maybe the smaller pitch allows him to play Cheyrou in the middle of the park (less running for Benoit) and move Oso to the wing

[noimpactinmtl]

Delgado is more defensively responsible and effective, and also more experienced at this level. If Vanney wants just as much defensive effort for this game I suspect he starts Delgado (both he and Endoh will put in a real shift defensively). With the smaller pitch and less space, and that Delgado isn't as good on the left, maybe Babouli does get the start though.

Babouli could be used as a late game sub if we need pace on the wings. Morgan (who was subbed in at left wing last week) is also an option if you really want to bunker down defensively.

[Bobo]

Or maybe the smaller pitch allows him to play Cheyrou in the middle of the park (less running for Benoit) and move Oso to the wing

This. You want players with vision and high IQs to make the most of that ugly backyard of a pitch.


So is this the weekend the new kits are introduced? Obviously the red is the better fit against light blue but you know they are just aching to show off the whites.

[Defoe]

well it can't make that big of a difference, seeing as we pulled it off against the reigning shield winners.

We won't win playing like that 2 weeks in a row. We were terrible... We stole a win. Just like we did against Seattle 2 years ago with Defoe in the opening game.

We should not be content with that game. Possession was 63 - 37 New York. They dominated us all game. Midfield was terrible. Link up play was terrible.

We had one great run and a friendly foul in the box on Endoh. Giovinco converts and we win.

Our second goal was because New York was pressing hard in the last 10 minutes.

Be happy with the result, not the performance.

play Delgado please

[bimmer]

Or maybe the smaller pitch allows him to play Cheyrou in the middle of the park (less running for Benoit) and move Oso to the wing

Less space/ground to cover, sure, but I find that a small pitch almost always results in a fast paced, back and forth game that favours the quicker/high energy players.

[Richard]

^^^ I agree but for different reasons.

It was a tactical decision to play on the counter but for me if you have the highest payroll in the league you should be imposing your game on others.

I get it was the first game but I want to see us flex our muscle against everyone no matter what.

[molenshtain]

We won't win playing like that 2 weeks in a row. We were terrible... We stole a win. Just like we did against Seattle 2 years ago with Defoe in the opening game.

We should not be content with that game. Possession was 63 - 37 New York. They dominated us all game. Midfield was terrible. Link up play was terrible.

We had one great run and a friendly foul in the box on Endoh. Giovinco converts and we win.

Our second goal was because New York was pressing hard in the last 10 minutes.

Be happy with the result, not the performance.

play Delgado please

We had 5 shots on target, plus we hit the post, compared to their one shot on target. We wore them down and then hit them on the break twice, a standout away performance.

Do you really think possession is an indicator of who played better?

[ronzilla]

Exactly. We were outplayed for most of the game and lucky to come out with 3 points.

Hope to see better performance vs ny.

We won't win playing like that 2 weeks in a row. We were terrible... We stole a win. Just like we did against Seattle 2 years ago with Defoe in the opening game.

We should not be content with that game. Possession was 63 - 37 New York. They dominated us all game. Midfield was terrible. Link up play was terrible.

We had one great run and a friendly foul in the box on Endoh. Giovinco converts and we win.

Our second goal was because New York was pressing hard in the last 10 minutes.

Be happy with the result, not the performance.

play Delgado please

[jloome]

We had 5 shots on target, plus we hit the post, compared to their one shot on target. We wore them down and then hit them on the break twice, a standout away performance.

Do you really think possession is an indicator of who played better?

This. They did exactly what they tactically set out to do in a road game in MLS, which we already know is a 2/3 losing proposition. They absolutely were not terrible.

[portu]

We won't win playing like that 2 weeks in a row. We were terrible... We stole a win. Just like we did against Seattle 2 years ago with Defoe in the opening game.

We should not be content with that game. Possession was 63 - 37 New York. They dominated us all game. Midfield was terrible. Link up play was terrible.

We had one great run and a friendly foul in the box on Endoh. Giovinco converts and we win.

Our second goal was because New York was pressing hard in the last 10 minutes.

Be happy with the result, not the performance.

play Delgado please

I was very happy with the performance, it's one thing if we were trying to play a possession kind of game but we very clearly weren't, I thought we played a very successful counter attacking, defensive and high pressure game

And btw there is nothing wrong with the way we played at the beginning of 2014, it's a legitimate style

[Yohan]

^^^ I agree but for different reasons.

It was a tactical decision to play on the counter but for me if you have the highest payroll in the league you should be imposing your game on others.

I get it was the first game but I want to see us flex our muscle against everyone no matter what.

highest payroll suggests TFC has best player in all positions. or something close to it.

reality is TFC has the best player in the league, but the rest of starting 10 is not. MLS parity rules *shrug*

[JoesphNdo]

Got a quick MLS live question, may not be able to watch this game as it happens, so I'm thinking of signing up for a month of MLS live just to get the on demand of the game. Does anyone know how soon after full time the game goes up, if it's possible to play it without finding spoilers (mlssoccer.com highlights section is very annoying for this) and if it works via chromecast?

[OgtheDim]

The day we go to the defending supporter's shield home, the team with the most potent offence in the league, who schooled us there last year with a style we could not handle, and expect to impose our will is the day when we don't have to go do things like that again.

i.e. When we are the feared team.


That day has not arrived yet.


We are not feared yet. The lag from our past is still around the league - everybody looks at those last two games against Montreal and thinks we are defensive push overs. For Pete's sake, there are NYCFC people who think they are going to waltz through our defence again, cause that's what TFC is - porous defence. Until we have 8 games of solid away defensive displays, we should be in no position to feel we should impose our will when on the road.

We are in a good position to get points here. BUT, impose our will? In that bandbox? Nope.

[pdogg]

baffled by a sunday game again... Looks like I'll just have to drink again tomorrow.

[Thomas]

We were not terrible. Is there room for improvement? Without question.

We won't win playing like that 2 weeks in a row. We were terrible... We stole a win. Just like we did against Seattle 2 years ago with Defoe in the opening game.

We should not be content with that game. Possession was 63 - 37 New York. They dominated us all game. Midfield was terrible. Link up play was terrible.

We had one great run and a friendly foul in the box on Endoh. Giovinco converts and we win.

Our second goal was because New York was pressing hard in the last 10 minutes.

Be happy with the result, not the performance.

play Delgado please

[noimpactinmtl]

^^^ I agree but for different reasons.

It was a tactical decision to play on the counter but for me if you have the highest payroll in the league you should be imposing your game on others.

I get it was the first game but I want to see us flex our muscle against everyone no matter what.

Admirable, but rather naive. TFC had a plan to stop the Red Bulls attack, and executed to perfection.

If that means conceding possession and springing a counter when the Red Bulls line press high, so be it. In the end, shots on goal/target is the better indicator of attacking threat.

[ag futbol]

I would say the plan worked, but hardly perfection. Room for improvement certainly.

Edit: what Thomas said.

[Shakes McQueen]

^^^ I agree but for different reasons.

It was a tactical decision to play on the counter but for me if you have the highest payroll in the league you should be imposing your game on others.

I get it was the first game but I want to see us flex our muscle against everyone no matter what.

All our payroll suggests (especially in a salary capped league with DP exemptions), is that we have a few players making a ton of money.

[Shakes McQueen]

We won't win playing like that 2 weeks in a row. We were terrible... We stole a win. Just like we did against Seattle 2 years ago with Defoe in the opening game.

We should not be content with that game. Possession was 63 - 37 New York. They dominated us all game. Midfield was terrible. Link up play was terrible.

We had one great run and a friendly foul in the box on Endoh. Giovinco converts and we win.

Our second goal was because New York was pressing hard in the last 10 minutes.

Be happy with the result, not the performance.

play Delgado please

We played a classic counter-attacking road game - low possession, turtling defensively to prevent scoring chances, and then catching them on fast breaks. The foul on Endoh was fortunate, but also at least partially forced by us putting the defender on his heels like that. And then we got the second goal when they were forced to press late, instead of our defense buckling for a late goal like every other TFC team in history would have done.

It was by no means an aces performance, but it was also the first game of the season; we limited them to one shot on target, a clean sheet, and stole three points on the road, from the Shield winners. We can get better, but it wasn't even close to a poor performance.

[jloome]

Looks like Lovitz is out with a concussion. Maybe we'll see Mo upfront.